In this delightful real-life American fable, everyday loser Melvin Dummar (Paul LeMat) picks up a haggard old man (Jason Robards) in the Nevada desert. Eight years later, the hitchhiker turns out to have been Howard Hughes … who has named Melvin as a beneficiary to his multi-billion dollar fortune. In a world of blue-collar hopes and game show ambitions, Melvin becomes both an instant celebrity and national punch line, gamely fighting to win the crap shoot that is The American Dream.